May 2008 - Posts
After yesterday's two-hour "Lost" finale, are you feeling satisfied that viewers were finally given some answers? Or are you still raging against the creators for inventing more new questions than they answer? In order to keep spoilers off the front page, I won't post more here, but click to come inside and share your thoughts.
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Harvey Korman, who died today at age 81, appeared in a number of big-name movies, from "Blazing Saddles" to "High Anxiety" (not to mention the infamous "Star Wars Holiday Special"). But to a large contingent of fans, he will be remembered as much for how he made himself laugh as for how he made us laugh.
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Almost all the TV finales have aired ("Lost" comes next week), and looking back, only a few great moments stick out in my mind. (What about "CSI," you ask? Well, I'm not a devotee, but we're already having that discussion here -- and I'm not sure a brutal shooting of a favorite character counts as a "favorite moment" anyway.)
"Grey's Anatomy" -- Meredith lights up her house plan
The SuperCouple issue has always dogged "Grey's Anatomy." Meredith and McDreamy were set up to be together from the pilot, but like every good romantic drama, they get together, they break up, they date others, they vow never to see each other again, lather, rinse, repeat. Yet the final scene of Thursday's season finale, where Meredith used luminarias to lay out the floor plan of the couple's future house, was a romantic scene to weaken the knees of even the most jaded. (Although I live in Seattle, and I had trouble getting a dozen luminarias to stay burning for a party a few years back -- it rains and blows here, Hollywood!)
"Grey's Anatomy" -- Alex shows his vulnerability
But to me, the best scene and acting performance on the "Grey's" finale came from Justin Chambers as Alex Karev. Torn in many different directions as he tried to help a troubled Rebecca, he spilled the fact that he'd taken care of his troubled mother when he was young, and he insisted he could care for Rebecca. Seeing this powerful, cocky doctor break down and admit that he was unable to help his mom, but insist that now he was older and could do the job, was a real tear-jerking moment.
"The Office" -- Holly and Kevin misinterpret each other
I'm a huge Jim/Pam fan, but since Jim's proposal was stymied by Angela/Andy, I can't give that a "favorite moment" award. Instead I have to say the one plotline that had me laughing for the entire episode was how new HR rep Holly was led to believe that Kevin was working for Dunder-Mifflin under a special-needs type employment program, and Kevin's naturally ultra-laid-back personality did nothing to dissuade her from that belief. Meanwhile, Kevin had his own misunderstanding -- thinking Holly's solicitous attitude towards him meant she wanted to date. More Kevin, please. Less Jan. That's just my opinion...
"My Name is Earl" -- Earl gets back to the List
I love the gentle, goofy humor of "My Name Is Earl," having watched the first two seasons in giant chunks while on maternity leave. This season started off promisingly -- with Earl in prison, where, as it turned out, he knows a heckuva lot of other inmates and is quite adept at getting along behind bars. But when he left prison, landed in a coma, having 1950s-sitcom style daydreams of being married to Billie, and then came out of the coma and really married Billie, I started to lose interest. Now that the annoying Billie has joined the Camdenites and Earl and Randy are back to actual list business (as creator Greg Garcia promised on Television Without Pity), next season looms bright as Camden County's endless baking sun.
Share your favorite moments from TV season finales in the comments.
You know the drill: Don't click through if you don't want to know who the new "American Idol" is. This is the biggest spoiler alert of the year, essentially. The winner? Well, his name is David. If you keep on reading, you can't say we didn't warn you. Anyway, let's discuss it in the comments.
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If you haven't seen Tuesday night's "Idol" sing-off yet, don't click through unless you want spoilers. If you have seen the show, come on inside, and we'll discuss who's going to win.
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It's rare that I have a real favorite on reality shows, but I'm finding it impossible not to root for Kristi Yamaguchi on "Dancing With the Stars."
Yes, as a skater, she has a bit of an advantage -- the lifts and twirls aren't new to her as they were to, say, Master P.
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While sorting through the comments from while I was gone, I found one person who couldn't believe that I needed to take maternity leave "from an on-line column."
Heh. Oh, if only, my friend, if only this "on-line column" were the one sole thing I did as part of my job. Nice work if you can get it...but I don't know many who can. (Also, I can assure you I'd be posting a LOT more frequently if I devoted 40 hours a week to doing it.)
How about some Monday linkage?
GO, TYPE RACER
This link has been making the rounds, but I didn't try it until now. The online game TypeRacer offers up a quote from a movie or other bit of media and times you as you retype it. It's more fun than it sounds. Note, though, that at least when I tried it, the high-score board was letting people "name" themselves with some fairly offensive words. More incentive to type really fast and shove those losers out of sight, I guess.
CHARIOTS OF FIRE, AND SANDALS, TOO
The late Charlton Heston's sandals from "Ben-Hur" can be yours for a mere $2000-$3000.
IT'S POP, PEOPLE -- FACE IT
The Pop vs. Soda page has been linked up here before, but the debate is eternal: What do you call that carbonated canned beverage -- Soda? Pop? Coke? Tonic? Fizzy water? The answer will always be "pop" to this Minnesotan, who's going to grab a can of pop right now.
STUNNING READ
This doesn't quite fit with the other time-waster links that make up Multi-Link Monday. It's definitely not a waste of your time to read this touching and detailed Esquire article, "The Things That Carried Him," about how our military dead come home for the last time. But if you want something more substantial to occupy those rare breaks at work, this is it. Warning: You might want to read it in chunks, both because it's lengthy and because it might make you cry. I used to subscribe to Esquire and don't anymore, but I'm so thankful I can read this online.
ZIPPED
And another war-related post: Photo gallery of Zippo lighters carried by soldiers in Vietnam. Some of the battlefield engravings are heartbreaking. I also find it interesting that there is apparently a market for fake Vietnam Zippos.
How about that 'CSI' finale Thursday night, folks? Don't click for more unless you've already watched it or you want the finale to be spoiled for you. Seriously, don't click if you're still waiting to watch. In this case, CSI stands for Certain Spoilers Inside.
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I mentioned the lovely and talented Rita Moreno (she's won an Emmy, an Oscar, a Grammy AND a Tony) in my post about her show, "Cane," being canceled.
But one of her old shows has found new life. I grew up in the 1970s, and I think I loved "Electric Company" even more than "Sesame Street," "Mister Rogers," "Captain Kangaroo" and "ZOOM" all put together. (At last summer's TV Critics' summer press tour, one of my colleagues went up to Moreno and simply said "Thank you for teaching me to read.")
Anyway, this week, the New York Times is reporting that "The Electric Company" is returning to PBS and has already started shooting in New York. Moreno has apparently been offered a cameo.
The show is reportedly a mix of the old show and new elements. It will debut in January.
"Electric Company" fans, join me in the comments: What sketches and recurring characters do you recall most fondly? Should they be resurrected for the new show?
Off the top of my head:
- The Short Circus. What little girl didn't want to be Julie?
- Letterman. Ripping a G from his varsity sweater..."
- Easy Reader, although Morgan Freeman's pay has gone up quite a bit since those days
- Spider-Man. "Where are you coming from, Spider-Man? Nobody knows who you are!" As a kid, though, it bugged me that he did not talk.
- Jennifer of the Jungle. How fun did vine-swinging look?
- Love Of Chair. To this day I cannot hear the name "Naomi" without wanting to ask, "But what about Naomi?"
I've purchased the DVD set and can relive the old show until the new one comes along (as can my daughter, when she's old enough). But the one sketch that always gave me creeps and still does? The Monolith sketches, nodding to "2001." Sailed over this little kid's head.
While we wait on news about "Moonlight," I wanted to answer some of your questions from the comments.
--"Pushing Daisies" will return in the fall on ABC. Pass the pie!
--It was announced this week that FOX has canceled "New Amsterdam"
--"Friday Night Lights" is coming back, but before episodes air on NBC, they will first be shown on a DirecTV specific channel, The 101. (I have had DirecTV for years and have never heard of this.) No worries, though, eventually you'll see them.
--"Journeyman" was canceled on NBC. This one hurts. I was just starting to get into that show, and who doesn't love Kevin McKidd? I may have to eventually rent "Made of Honor" just to get my Lucius Vorenus fix. Also, "Moon Bloodgood" is the best name in TV, bar none.
--"Prison Break" is expected to return in the fall, with filming moving from Texas to L.A.
--One Showtime-less reader asked if the second season of "Dexter" was coming to CBS (heavily edited, of course, as the first season was). I asked CBS today, and a spokesperson said there's no word on whether that will happen yet. I'd bet it will eventually, though.
Update: For the reader who asked in today's comments, yes, "Cane" has been canceled. I'm saddened if only because this gives me one less opportunity to enjoy the talents of Rita Moreno.
I asked readers to share thoughts on the canceled shows they're already missing. The two that have turned up the most in your comments so far as "Women's Murder Club" and "Moonlight."
On Monday, ABC confirmed that "Women's Murder Club," based on the incredibly popular James Patterson books, was indeed canceled.
But is there still hope for vampire P.I. Mick St. John and "Moonlight"? CBS announced yesterday that the show was canceled. But later that same day, Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood had this entry, in which she says "I've just been told by an insider that "there is a chance, only a chance" that Media Rights Capital which will be programming Sunday's two hours on the CW "may elect to take Moonlight as one of those two hours"."
Finke even says that the "Moonlight" sets, which apparently were scheduled to be torn down, are getting a reprieve at least until Friday. Readers flooded her blog with comments supporting the show. So we shall see. Like Mick St. John, the show itself might not be quite dead yet.
(Link via the wonderful Pop Candy.)
Here's some more info on what's canceled/what's not:
CBS' "Back to You" canceled, though Kelsey Grammer has hope
CW adds three new shows, keeps "Gossip Girl"
CBS harpoons "Shark," has love for "Mother"
"Reaper" to return on CW
ABC gets "Scrubs," ditches "Murder Club," "Men in Trees"
OK, the news is coming out about which TV shows will be returning in the fall ( "Reaper," hooray!) and which will not ( "Jericho," and it sounds like peanuts won't save it this time).
I'll post more info about various shows here, and of course we'll cover them in the TV news section of msnbc.com.
But let's use the comments section to discuss...which shows are you happy to hear are coming back? Did any of your favorites get canceled? And are there any shows out there that you'd secretly love to see canceled? (Am I the only one who's shocked that "The Bachelor" keeps on keeping on? At least this next season will be "The Bachelorette.")
Welcome back, work Mondays (for me). Welcome back, Multi-link Monday (for you). The concept is simple: I link to five fun sites, usually pure time-wasters, to get your week off to a good start. Sometimes these sites are useful or educational, but mostly they're pure entertainment. You, too, can suggest MLM (not multi-level marketing!) sites. Leave them in the comments and I'll check them out. And happy Monday to all.
SAD KERMIT
Anyone who's ever heard "The Rainbow Connection" knows that Kermit the Frog can be one sad little green feller. SadKermit.com takes that one step further, presenting audio and video of the frog singing heartbreaking modern songs. Proof that this is NOT an approved Jim Henson venture is obvious when Kermie starts sticking the syringe in his arm while singing Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt." Personally, I love his take on "Hallelujah." It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth, the minor fall and the major lift.
FIND YOUR SWATCH
If you had a watch in the 1980s, it probably was a Swatch. Find it on SwatchandBeyond.com. Ah, for the days when a cheap plastic watch was king, so much so that we even wore Swatch Guards to protect (?) them. (Thanks to Emily for the addictive link!)
KIDS' DRAWINGS COME TO LIFE
I can't read a word on this site, but it's pretty clear what's going on. Photographers are taking children's drawings and recreating them with real models. This reminds me of a wonderful MAD Magazine feature where they showed what would happen if kids actually got to design their own toys -- the toys were all misshapen and weird since they were based on children's drawings. (Link via Lisa's Rage Diaries.)
PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE NOTES
I don't know why this site makes me laugh so hard. Maybe it's because I have a bit of the ol' passive-aggressive personality in me too, you know? And because I've also been on the receiving end of notes like these. Reading them over makes me very glad I no longer have roommates. (Warning: Some notes have adult content.)
GARFIELD MINUS GARFIELD
This one's been making its way around the Web, but in case you missed it...the "Garfield" comic strip is so much better when you remove Garfield.
Remember back before my leave when we were discussing misheard song lyrics? And some people would comment and insist that people were just gleefully making up their "wrong" lyrics, that no one could be so dumb as to get that confused?
Readers, I am here to assure you: I am that dumb.
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I'm in training today...have to relearn all the software that was second-nature to me not so long ago. But I'll throw a few fun links up as I find them.
EBERT SPEAKS
He calls it a journal, but Web surfers know better: Roger Ebert now has a blog! The cancer-stricken critic may not be able to speak, but his voice rings out as loud as ever. (Via Web Goddess.)
'WHO LIVES DOWN IN DEEPEST, DARKEST AFRICA?'
A co-worker is wondering: If "Speed Racer" is now a big-screen movie, can "Kimba the White Lion" be far behind? Some of us have fond memories of watching the two cartoons back-to-back. Here's a YouTube link to remind you of Kimba. (Thanks to Denise O. and Paige for the link.) And don't miss our "Speed Racer" quiz.
WHEN IN SCRANTON, STAY AT SCHRUTE FARMS
Did you catch John McCain on "The Daily Show" last night suggesting that he had picked Dwight Schrute from "The Office" as his running mate? It might have worked had McCain known who Schrute was...instead he had to stop, pull a cue card out of his pocket, and read the name as if he'd never seen it before. (Note: The NY Times says McCain IS an "Office" fan. Coulda fooled me.)
You can watch the video on Wonkette. But we "Office" fanatics know Dwight would never settle for the #2 spot on the ticket. His platform? Five portions of beets a day for everyone!
HIGH-GULL, not HIGH-JELL
Our own Courtney Hazlett reports that Katharine Heigl may not be long for "Grey's Anatomy." Personally, I like the Izzie character, though not paired with George -- that was just wrong. The NY Daily News somewhat gleefully trashes the actress, but come on. If someone mispronounced my name (and they do, all the time), I think correcting them is just fine. (Daily News link via TV Tattle.)
Is it just me, or are some of the best programs on TV running on The Discovery and History Channels?
I've always liked those channels, but while I was on my leave, I started to really get into the extreme job/freezing in Alaska/wow-I-could-never-do THAT genre of programming.
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What are the other blogs talking about? Here's a look at TV and entertainment news from around the Web:
Hey, is this thing on?
Sorry to let Test Pattern get so dusty! But I have an excuse, really! The dog ate my homew -- forget it, you'd never buy that.
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